Overview

What happens when a philosophy doctorate who never learned to code becomes CEO of one of the most powerful-and controversial-technology companies in the world? Herbert White delivers an electrifying portrait of Alex Karp, the unconventional leader of Palantir Technologies who transformed abstract questions about power and ethics into a multibillion-dollar enterprise that operates in the shadows of global security. This isn't another Silicon Valley success story. Karp didn't drop out of college to chase venture capital. He spent years in Germany studying Hegel and Habermas, writing dissertations that a dozen people would read, seemingly destined for academic obscurity. Yet this unlikely philosopher found himself building software that hunts terrorists, disrupts human trafficking rings, and helps governments make life-and-death decisions-all while wrestling openly with the moral weight of that power. White takes us inside the rooms where algorithms become weapons, where Karp's Palantir software connects intelligence fragments that prevent attacks, and where every deployment raises uncomfortable questions: Just because we can do this, should we? Through classified briefings, tense boardroom confrontations, and protests outside Palantir's headquarters, we witness a CEO who quotes Kant during earnings calls, turns down hundreds of millions in contracts that violate his principles, and tells Wall Street analysts on IPO day that he ""doesn't apologize for helping democracies defend themselves."" The book doesn't shy from controversy. Karp's work with ICE sparked employee revolts and death threats. His defense of government surveillance alienated Silicon Valley. His philosophical justifications for military contracts drew accusations of moral laundering from critics who see Palantir as an existential threat to privacy and civil liberties. White presents these tensions without easy answers, revealing a leader who believes refusing to engage with power is itself a dangerous choice. The climax arrives not in triumph but in ongoing moral reckoning-as artificial intelligence amplifies both capability and consequence, Karp confronts whether the institutional courage he built into Palantir can survive an era where algorithms make decisions that determine who lives and dies. Can ethics keep pace with technology? Can democratic values constrain tools designed to transcend democratic comprehension? This is the story of how a philosopher became one of the most influential figures in global security, forcing conversations Silicon Valley preferred to avoid, proving that wielding power while questioning its legitimacy isn't just possible-it's essential for survival in the age of data.

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